We Don't Need Words
by Melwyn
Summary: Neal and Peter have developed such a close relationship that they can read each others looks and gestures. When an operation goes bad Neal goes missing and its up to Peter to get him back. Slash/pre-slash. Oneshot short for collarkink on LJ. Now Beta'd!


**Authors Notes:**  
- This is my first fic ever, so go a bit easy on me. I also wrote this on a sudden surge of inspiration at the end of a 3 day period with 4 hours sleep total so far. (Its been a busy holiday)  
- This fic was written for a challenge at collarkink on LJ  
- Warnings: time-jumps, unexplored views  
- Kudos if anyone guesses who the Langley agent is (Hes from another TV show)

Update - Beta'd by oldmomii

* * *

Neal was paying his usual rapt attention as they were being briefed on a case that had popped up in their jurisdiction. Whenever a slide of a painting was shown he would lean toward it from where he was perched, nearly sitting on the table instead of actually in a chair as everyone else was. He shot an annoyed look toward the FBI guy who's come here from Langley and couldn't seem to resist snapping to the next slide every time Neal leaned in for a better look… which took his eyes to Peter, who was sitting across the table from him, just to the left of the archaic slide machine he couldn't believe the Langley expert was still using considering the computer tech they had today.

The intense way in which Peter was watching him made Neal swallow a bit thickly before shooting him an amused smirk. Peter's eyes seemed to just smolder sometimes with not just intelligence and a sense of knowing exactly what Neal was thinking but… passion... and something else, possession maybe? His smirk faded slightly and while no one else in the room would have caught it, he knew Peter had, because that smoldering look disappeared, replaced by an amused one that clearly said '_Pay Attention_.'

Amused further, Neal rolled his eyes and shot Peter a glance that just as clearly said that he knew Peter hadn't been watching the slides either before turning his attention back toward them and trying to ignore it when once again he felt Peter's gaze rest on him. Instead of making him uncomfortable it only made him smile.. Whenever Peter looked at him that way he would only feel a sense of belonging. He loved having attention… especially Peter's.

***********

The case had been dragging on for over two weeks now, which for a normal FBI case wasn't very long at all however Peter's team had had a way of cracking down on the interesting things like this within a few days, especially since Caffrey had become his partner. As he found himself often doing of late his gaze and mind rested heavily on Neal. He wasn't too thrilled about the idea about this particular undercover op, especially since they were only doing it because they'd been able to get little intel any other way. Peter had argued against the idea of using Caffrey as what would basically become free-roaming bait... again, but he had had to admit that a trained agent undercover would probably blow the entire op because… well no one was as good as Caffrey, and they would need his particular skill-set to pull this one off convincingly. It wasn't something that Caffrey could teach someone in the time they had anyway. Even with a skilled student Neal had explained to him when they were alone that it would take years to even master the basics.

He sighed loudly again, causing Neal to look up from the threadlike wire that was being painstakingly adjusted in the collar of his shirt by a techie and a tailor that specialized in exactly this type of work. Concern lit Neal's eyes for a moment before he gave a slight smile that actually did manage to ease Peter's nerves slightly, but it still wasn't enough. Funny how when he could stay mad at Neal for risking his neck he was 'Caffrey' and when he just couldn't bring himself to be angry it was just 'Neal'. He shook his head and met Neal's eyes, silently communicating that he didn't like it, before making an excuse to move over and accidentally brush his knuckles across Neal's neck as he lifted the collar to examine the work. With the earwig there would be very little chance of him being detected but he didn't like sending him in there without backup and off grid and the way he pursed his lips said it all.

"Could you guys excuse us for a moment? I need to go over things with my partner one more time before I go." Neal said, surprising Peter when he spoke because the room had been so quiet it was almost heavy with silence. The two that had been fussing over his collar left, satisfied with their work. Cruz glanced up from the file she'd been reading around and then stood. "I think I need a coffee… anything for you guys? No? I'll be back." She left, shutting the door behind her and Neal smirked up at Peter.

The look Neal was giving him made Peter's insides squirm a bit in a pleasant way. There was untold affection there, amusement at the looks he'd been getting, but Peter read Neal every bit as well as Neal read him. And they were just in each others heads lately. Neal was nervous too. Feeling bad then for not showing more confidence in him Peter put his hands on Neal's shoulders and made a show of brushing them off, his hands lingering a bit too long and then sliding down either arm as he smoothed down the expensive silk mix, looking at Neal's shoulder, the collar, his own hands.. Which he got away with until Neal surprised him again by putting his hand on his jaw and lifting his face so their eyes met.

"Peter.." He began and Peter shook his head. Wanting to cut him off with more then just words but restraining himself by gripping Neal's upper arms where he was holding him still.

"No Neal, listen to me.. You're right. It'll be fine. You will be fine. I promise.. Alright?" It was a promise that he never liked to make but that promise being broken was unthinkable to him. It just wasn't going to happen, not on his watch, as long as he was alive Neal was going to be protected and it didn't matter the lengths he had to go to do it. He would tear the whole of New York apart… the whole of the _world _to save Neal if anything went wrong, and it all went unsaid. He knew that he didn't need to say it because he could see the message was received by the smile that suddenly lit Neal's face. Before he could stop himself he was leaning downward and Neal was stepping closer and then the door was opening and the older field agent from Langley was clearing his throat and looking downward.

Peter quickly dropped his hands and instantly regretted stepping away so quickly for the millisecond of hurt it that that flashed through Neal's eyes but this was off limits and they both knew it. Peter loved Elizabeth and as understanding as she was he couldn't possibly ask his wife to understand something like.. Whatever this bond was between them.. He would just have to settle for the bond itself and try to control himself better in the future. He didn't see the way Neal's gaze fell to the floor or his shoulders sagged as Peter left the room but the sharp eyed old agent from Langley certainly did, though he didn't comment.

***********

Neal rose to consciousness, cracking his eyes open slowly as he heard movement around him. He didn't move though, keeping his breathing steady as though he were still asleep. Their plan had failed rather spectacularly. For all the high-tech gadgetry he had gone into the club with no one seemed to have considered that the wire thin strip that made up the wiretap he had been wearing would be exposed by the adhesive strip that held it in place, which though invisible to the naked eye glowed rather spectacularly under a black light. He had been stripped of the wire and then beaten up for what seemed like nothing more then amusement… he wasn't sure how long it had been since then, but he knew he had been moved quite a few times and that's what they were about to do now… He groaned slightly as large hands hauled him roughly up and he was thrown over a shoulders.. The drugs they were injecting him made him pass out, or lose all sense of space and time but were not working for nearly so long as he had been letting on that they had. Perhaps if he kept that ace in his sleeve he'd have a chance to get back to Peter.

He made no noise as he was unceremoniously dumped into the back of a large van which seemed to be fitted for kidnappers or something. It was actually one of the more comfortable places he had been stashed with a nicely padded floor and blankets that were tucked into the corners. He only moved slightly, not wanting anyone to know he wasn't still completely out of it when his eyes cracked open to look around again. That was when he heard Peter's voice… soft, intimate and sounding a bit broken despite the bravado the other was trying to put into it.

The one comfort he has was these times when he could hear Peter's voice on the earwig which had miraculously not only not been discovered but not lost during his rough treatment either… It seemed the 'bad guys' hadn't thought he was wearing anything since 'there was no cord.' He almost snorted at the thought since the wire had been virtuously invisible but for a bit of bad luck with lighting.

Peter was still talking and he realized he had been floating in and out because he had been entirely unable to focus on it until now. "Don't know if you can still hear me but I want you to know that I'm not giving up.. We're going to find you.. I promised.. Remember that promise I made you.." The way Peter's voice faded into sadness wrenched Neal's heart and he knew that he would have to get out of there and get back to Peter somehow… Tell him how much it meant that he was still trying to communicate, and how much he wanted to be able to tell him not to despair.

He knew for a fact that whatever communications Peter had sent out beyond the initial chatter of people asking if he could hear them and what was going on was probably completely unauthorized or at very least unmonitored. He'd only heard Peter use that tone a few times.. With Elizabeth.. and only once with he himself, before _this _happened anyway. It spoke volumes though. It put his mind at ease when he heard Peter's voice and he found himself less panicked and able to think more clearly about what was to come having heard it. And having heard what wasn't actually said lay there in the open. He knew now for sure that he was loved… and that meant everything.

***********

Over a month.. That's how long had passed since that day that Neal had caught Peter staring at him, thinking things entirely inappropriate as they were being briefed on an art theft ring that had come here to New York from overseas by a Senior Special Agent from Langley who seemed too shrewd for his own good despite the botch the case had become. Peter still didn't know what to make of the old bastard, he didn't seem to like modern technology, he had protested a non-agent going undercover vehemently but when they'd lost Neal he'd gone from gruff old man to somewhat supportive and understanding.. Around Peter anyway. Turning his attention away from the short balding man who was currently growling out orders at people he glanced around and moved over to the communications room, sitting in a desk in the corner and picking up a microphone and headset while he tuned it to the correct encrypted frequency.

"If you can hear this.. " He said in a voice stronger and more assured then he knew he'd been using all day "I'm making good on my promise." That said, he took the headphones off, hoped Neal had heard him and stood.. The entire time he'd tried to communicate with him he'd never used a name or given any details in case the earwig was compromised… but the computers still showed it as reachable and they had finally managed to pinpoint the frequency on it. Thanks to the expertise of a forensic technician in another agency who owed the old Langley man a favor. Steadying himself he checked his gun again, straitened his bulletproof vest and went out to take command of his own team.

It was nearly forty minutes later when he stood, gun drawn and pointed over Neal's shoulder at the man who was holding him hostage. Neal himself looked like he hadn't slept properly in a week, hadn't eaten properly in days and as though he might keel over in the arms of the man who was backing away from Peter with a gun to Neal's head. Neal was staying as still as he could and he kept trying to get Peter to meet his eyes, but Peter's eyes were on the ring-leader who had begun all the madness. The Art-ring had just been the tip of a very large iceberg which was why Langley had sent out one of its best agents to work the case.

When the old agent and his team surrounded the man from behind and their gaze broke Peter finally turned his own gaze to meet Neal's and shook his head when Neal's eyes said '_shoot me_' He squared his jaw and gave a firm look that said adamantly '_never_'. Then the man panicked and his gun went from Neal's head toward Peter.. And that was the fatal mistake. Their eyes met, and acting almost as one entity, Peter and Neal were both moving.. Neal dropping to his knees and delivering a wicked elbow to the mans crotch and Peter diving to the side and shooting.. He fired three times as the man was just starting to react.

Peter was scrambling up and moving over to Neal before most of the other agents had even registered what had happened. He kicked the gun away from the perp's hands and then knelt, catching Neal as he began to fall forward, too weak and dizzy to even support himself on his knees. Their eyes met and Peter stroked his face gently and neither of them needed to say a word.. They both knew what the other felt.

***********

Three weeks after the incident Neal was standing on the roof at June's, overlooking central park and sipping from the coffee as he stared out at the view.. He had been in the hospital for days while his system had been flushed of the tranqs they'd given him, then gone home with Peter for a few agonizingly tense nights at his house with Elizabeth either fussing over him or avoiding them both completely… he knew from the hushed and angry conversations that Peter had brought him up… but it didn't seem as though he was hated. Since then he had pretty much avoided any kind of real contact or communications with Peter.. Having a week off even after leaving Peter's had helped.. And then completely engulfing himself in the two cases they'd cracked since then… Peter had come by a few times but the two of them hadn't said much, mostly because Peter's heart had still been in turmoil and Neal could read him like an open book and knew that he had done that to him, whether intentionally or not.

Neal became suddenly aware that he was there again.. Peter. He could feel his eyes on his back but hadn't heard him coming. He knew he was there as clearly as if the other had announced himself.. and he smiled. Something was different. Something had changed. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and calming himself, he might be wrong after all. Then he turned and looked at Peter, and that was all it took, he knew. His smile matched Peter's as he moved across the roof and into the arms that opened to embrace him. He breathed in the scent of the beautiful man who he'd fallen so completely for… his real connection to the world and then looked up at him.

Before he could ask what had happened he was being kissed rather passionately. As he was still reeling from it and looking up at Peter in amazement he heard Elizabeth's happy and amused voice behind him ask "More coffee Neal?"

-End-

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**  
End note:** It may seem strangely off at the end but Elle took time coming to terms with the fact that her husband actually needed someone else and that that someone else was a man. It was helped along by the fact that she really does adore Neal and she would much rather have him as family then see her husband hurting and watch him grow distant because of that hurt.


End file.
